Since the cat population here went up to four, nothing has been broken at all. (well... read on) On day 44 into our sojourn into a quadra cat life-style nothing has been broken, mangled, or destroyed. (er, maybe I'd better tell the truth.)

OK, a 97 year old glass gas lamp chimney was exploded into bits, but, you see, it wasn't the cats fault, I feel it was slated for death anyhow. But I never thought my plastic model of a Canadian CF-100 fighter was.

The CF-100 was Canada's contribution to the cold war effort, a remarkable machine; my company turned out 692 of them, just before I was born. I love the CF-100 because it was so buck ugly. Pilots love aircraft for what they can do, not what they look like.

I digress.

I have a beautiful model of the "Canuck" as it was called. Or had. Let me explain. When the Vacuum Monster is out, the cat count drops to zero. All have good hiding places to go to, but the Vacuum Monster seeks out each and every one of them on it's relentless search for dirt and cat hair. (did I say cat hair?... ooh yes, I did)

It scared the August Bella from her hiding place in the living room, and she scampered past at lightning speed...

...and knocked over one of my heavy ceramic lamps right onto the CF-100 model.

It was a sight to behold, undercarriage wheels and doors flying every which way. The lamp hitting the ground, but not breaking.

The CF-100 hitting the ground, but...

It was destroyed. I found tyres and wheel struts 20 feet from the wreckage site, all consumed by the vacuum monster, other pieces of debris did not fly that far. The main fuselage with plastic pilots was found intact. Good old Canuck. Tuff bird.

I will display it in my den, hanging from the ceiling, banking port, so no one will be able to see the fact it's undercarriage has been ripped off.

Shortly after this incident, I had to leave, and upon arrival home, Bella did not greet me. She was under the covers of my bed. I made her come out, and told her it was not her fault. Any cat afraid of the vac could have it happen to them. She was very sorry she broke something.

So what? a silly model plane I can't replace, or a glass chimney broken? A loving cat is irreplaceable.

Copyright © Bill Mason
March 20, 2002